Why Is My Period Brown? Explaining the Underlying Causes

Having brown period blood is COMPLETELY normal. It is called “old blood” and comes out either at the start or end of a woman’s period. In the middle of menstruation, this is heavier and takes a pink or red color. Blood becomes brown because of its iron content – iron turns brown when it is exposed to air. This is why having a brown period should not be a serious reason for concern … Or should it?

Are Darker Colors Safe?

It depends… During menstruation, there are regular cases where a woman notices that her period blood is brown… dark brown… or even black. Should that be a reason for concern? One should know that this is a normal color change that occurs because of the presence of old blood that has not been expelled from the body.

Some women do worry that their flow is thick. There is no reason to worry about that. HOWEVER, the doctor should examine your regular heavy periods. Getting used to having heavy periods and taking them as a normal phenomenon is what many women do, and this is wrong.

Excess blood loss could lead to anemia, weakness and fatigue. This is why you are advised to see your doctor immediately.

What Can Cause Brown Periods?

Brown discharges have become very normal for many women. As a result, women no longer pay attention to them but rather take them for granted. Such discharges occur during a woman’s period and consist of blood that has been either in the vagina or in the uterus.

It is normal when these discharges occur closer to the end of a woman’s period when blood flow slows down, or at the beginning, just before blood flow picks up. In most cases, such discharges are leftovers from the previous cycle.

Along with these causes, there are other reasons for a change in the menstruation blood color. Depression and stress are two of the main reasons that make the inner lining of the uterus get thinner, thereby leading to a delay in the shedding of the endometrial wall, and to blood oxidization.

Blood clotting is another reason that you may not have heard of. Clots make menstrual blood become brown or black in color. After the clots have been discharged, the blood flow color becomes normal.

Do you know that some medicines can also lead to such changes? Birth control pills and various steroids change the hormonal levels in a woman’s body. Brownish menstrual blood is the first sign that you should consult your doctor to change the pills that you are taking.

Some women take brown discharges for brown periods. When you experience your period late and have brown spotting, this may not be the beginning of menstruation, but rather a sign that you are pregnant. Such discharges are quite common during a woman’s first pregnancy, but are not experienced by all women.

Normally, such spotting is accompanied by additional symptoms like lower abdominal pain. If you have this condition, see your doctor.

Can Brown Discharges Be a Problem?

Yes, they can. But when should a woman start worrying?

If a woman experiences brown menstrual bleeding on a regular basis and she is sure this is uncommon for the beginning/ending of menstruation, she should know that there is something wrong. If you are not sure whether some changes are normal or not, you should see a gynecologist and stop guessing.

Abnormalities that you should pay attention to are:

heavy discharges

brown discharges during the time when a women would not normally be menstruating

If the case is VERY serious, brown menstrual bleeding is the first sign of infection. The presence of infectious bacteria in the vagina is accompanied by unusual discharges, bloating and severe abdominal pain.

Sometimes the discharges are caused by the rapid growth of a polyp that forms on the mucous membrane. If neither of the cases seems to match your condition, ask your doctor whether you are suffering from cervical erosion because this condition also leads to bleeding.

Why is my period brown? It is impossible to determine the underlying causes on your own. This can be an infection, a sexually transmitted disease, a uterine cyst or any other condition. Getting professional help will ensure your safety.